how to reach business professionals online

The new business landscape: How influence works, how to engage and how to measure results.

2

A Team Obsessed

• 20 years in publishing

• 20 years in marketing

• 20 years in research

3

Lunch and Learn

• Profile of today's business users• What fuels influence and decision making• How sites need to address today's influencers• How to market in-line with the user• How to measure impact across funnel

Sources:• Marketing Sherpa Technology Benchmark Survey 2006, CNET 2007 Audience Profile Study, Business Trax,

Technology Decision Makers: The Players and the Process, CNET Influencer Research 2007, @Plan 2007, Technoraiti, Pew Internet and American Life Project.

4

Business technology purchasing isn’t quick or easy

High cost &implementation investment+Complex products Many vendor choices+

5

The stakes are high

Solving new problems with

technology

Keeping up with the

changing tech landscape

Being more effective and productive at

work

Making the right decision

for my company

6

65%Often giveadvice to

others

55%Like to lead

others

55%Like to stay connected

wherever they go

64%Work hardto advance

career

20hoursAverage 20

hours per week online

They're serious about their roles at work

Source: 2007 CNET Networks Business Audience Profile Study; top two answers “describes/describes completely”

7

The sales cycle is long

• Search and lead generation does not address the short term

• Where is the budget against the long term?

8Source: Technology Decision-Making: The Players and the Process, CNET Networks, Inc., September 2005

They need the information

0% 20% 40%

(white papers, webcasts, product/services documentation)Vendor bids

Advice/recommendations from peers

References or recommendations from satisfied customers

References or recommendations from personal network

Consultant opinion/advice

Value-added reseller/systems integrator opinion/advice

Advice/recommendations from industry analysts

Industry analyst reports

Article from IT industry online publications

Financial analyst reports

Article from IT industry print publications

Advice/recommendations from financial analysts

Other

60% 80% 100%

Vendor content

Peercontent

3rd party content

Vendor content available online

9

And they're arming themselves in every way

Sources: Technoraiti, Pew Internet and American Life Project

Peers 67% get News Online Podcasts

WebcastsUser Opinions

Blogs up 100-fold

White Papers

10

Proven by their online behavior

2-7 times more likely to

7 x more likely to listen/watch tech news online6 x more likely to use RSS6 x more likely to read Internet & tech e-newsletter 4 x more likely to download new software

3 x more likely to download a Podcast

3 x more likely to seek/give advice online 3 x more likely to seek or post a product review online 3 x more likely to research products for work online2 x more likely visit a blog

(Source: @plan Spring 2007 (Compared to internet users in general; last 30 days)

11

Online is the most influential channel

• But there's an imbalance of spending against what influences

• Huge opportunity for marketers

15%

Influence %Spending %

18%19%

13%

12

Summary

• Business technology complicates us• We need to stay up to date• We use many resources• Online is most important• Marketing does not always span the buying cycle

13Copyright © 2006 CNET Networks, All Rights Reserved.

You can measure influence

14

Influence Is a Hot Topic

It matters. It is not well understood.

15

Successful purchases require many influencers

35%

26%

56%60%

62%

35%

39%

17%

25%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Need Recognition Info search + eval. Purchase decision

IS/IT

Non IS/IT

C-Level • Not just C-Level• All levels involved• At every stage

Success

16

Successful decision making can be mapped

17

Typical Personal Network

People you communicate with regularly

Neighbors

Adult family

Co-workers

Church/Civic groups

Close friends

Casual friends

9

7

13

4

19

9

18

The trickle down pyramid is a thing of the past

LessConnected

Highly Connected

ModeratelyConnected

19

The moderately connected now change the game

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

Less Connected ModeratelyConnected

Highly Connected

100+ Connections11-99 Connections10 or Fewer Connections

Pyramid Reality

20

The new model is more of a diamond than pyramid

LessConnected

Highly Connected

ModeratelyConnected

Old Model New Model

21

So they're on portals and searching right?

22

“By no means am I a self-professed expert on anything …but they always want to go to me anyway.”

Greg, Project Manager, HMO

Emergence of the Sleuth

• Not an expert, but savvy at finding credible info

• Enabled by the web• Often forwards links

23

What powers spread of influence

“I often find things I can't wait to share with other people. ”

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Strongly Agree Mostly Agree Neither AgreeNor Disagree

Mostly Disagree StronglyDisagree

CNB Sites Web Portals

“Builds my confidence in my knowledge of things I am interested in.”

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Strongly Agree Mostly Agree Neither AgreeNor Disagree

Mostly Disagree StronglyDisagree


“I trust the information I find there more than on a lot of web sites .”

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

StronglyAgree

Mostly Agree NeitherAgree NorDisagree

MostlyDisagree

StronglyDisagree


24

Model of how to fuel influence

Unique Content

Trusted Content

User Confidence Influence

25

Search and Portals don't fuel or activate influence

What powers influence? Search/ Portals

CNB

Find the site content unique 12% 79%

trust the info on the site 8% 83%

Site builds confidence in knowledge of things I'm interested in

4% 88%

Find things on the site they can’t wait to share with others

13% 60%

Avg. user’s network of influence 44 people

61 people

• Trusted, unique content is the fuel

• Activating influencer over 4x more likely off portals and search

• Influence networks almost 40% larger where content is

26

Proven out at CNET

7

25

112

1 38

1 395

15

44

6

20

72

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Less connected Moderately connected Highly connected

No. C

onne

ctio

ns

Email Instant message Text message Phone See in person

Monthly Communications

21

66

245

27

Proven out at CNET

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Less Connected ModeratelyConnected

HighlyConnected

Number of contributions

0

50

100

150

200

250

LessConnected

ModeratelyConnected

HighlyConnected

Number of Tags

Tagging Contributing

28

Summary

• All parties have to be engaged• The network is measurable• The pyramid is out. The fat middle is in.• Influence is fueled and activated by

trusted and unique content


Building the web for the sleuth

30

Blogs are the straight talk people need to be productive

31

Trusted individuals are sought out for information

32

External experts are core to successful business planning

33

People demand 300 degree coverage

34

Vendors voices are required to make smart choices

35

Vendor content is demanded by business users

36

User voices need to be welcomed

37

Peers need the ability to connect and communicate

38

All voices need to be in the mix to address business technology

39

Summary

• 360 degree coverage is imperative• Blogs are important to business users• Vendors and their content need to be in the mix• The user needs a voice and has control• Peers activate the community


Marketing in the influencer's path

41

9 ways to span the funnel, arm the sleuth and activate influence

or deep consideration

42

Sponsor areas where experts are found

Marketers should line up behind

content of interest to their target. Whether

it's theirs or not

43

CONTEXTUAL INTEGRATIONPROMOTION IN:

• Article/News Pages• Blog Pages• Search Results• Discussion Pages• Editorial Newsletters• IT Directory

Syndicate your content Users search for deep information,

and vendors need to be there or be left out

Vendor’s Asset

IT Directory

44

Educate users on trusted sites not just vendor sites

Vendor and editorial webcasts need to be wherever the user is

45

Quick Poll Unit

Marketers can engage in the simplest of ways

Ask questions on your topic to engage,

inform others and get the brand out

there

Poll Results

46

SEARCH PAGES

NEWS

FRONT DOOR

BLOGS

NEWSLETTER

More power than PR, a marketer can span

the funnel with awareness, content and activation tools

Inform and activate across the funnel

Preview + traffic driver

Engagement + resource center

47

Custom page

with Resource

links and offers

Downloadable to Video iPod

Send the experts to the user Users appreciate information they

can easily consume and pass along to

others

Co-branded

promotional MPU

48

The brave should be blogging

Blog headlines drive users

Sponsored Blog

The brave executive or expert

should enter the conversation, be

open, educate and learn from users

49

Promotional space to drive awareness to advertiser’s

solution

Web 2.0

Net Neutrality

Open Source

Storage Enterprise

Solutions

IT Managemen

t

Security

Become part of a special feature on a topic

Marketers can now define a topic, sponsor it, and

engage with users or simply generate

awareness

Vendor selected topic

50

CNET/ Vendor agree on topic/focus

CNET Editorial content around topic

Vendor related Ad or assets

Vendor Logo

Be there 24-7 Integration around editorial features is a cost effective way to raise awareness

for a low CPM

51

Summary

• Users crave useful information• Create informative moments that span the

funnel• Build in features that activate the influencer• Plan your share of engagement at each stage

of the funnel


How to measure impact across the funnel

53

Tracking vendors, topics, users and engagement at every stage

• What is Business Trax? • Proprietary reporting tool allowing near-real time view into

topics and vendors that users care about across business sites

• Shows how vendor content is performing compared to their competitors at every stage of the marketing funnel

• A proxy for the business tech space

• How does Trax work? • Proprietary genetic algorithms actual “read” content • Content and behavior categorized and mapped to stages of

the marketing funnel based on algorithms

Source: CNET Networks, January 200753

54

Categorization rules used to measure impact

Source: CNET Networks, May 2007

• Microcosm of tech space• Over half a billion actions• Over 20,000 vendors tracked

IMPRESSIONSAdsBannersSponsorshipsPower Center/PlaySpotlightsHotspots

CLICKS & VIEWSZDNet News/blogsTechRepublic news/blogsBNET newsBuilder newsTechRepublic articlesSponsorship driverPower Center "preview" mouse overRSS feedsCNET News.com

DEEPER CLICKS & VIEWSBNET & tech directory assetsSoftwareTR download resourcesPageviews of News >7 days Email alerts / Newsletter clicksDiscussion thread postingsBlog talkbacksPC resource center clicksWhite boards/ Video StreamsPodcastsQuick Polls clicksImage galleriesResource Center pageviews

GATED CONTENTBNET & tech directory: White papers, Webcasts & audiocasts, Case studiesSoftwareResource center assets listed in directory Software downloadsTR download resources

Downloads 2 or more on topic in 30 days:White papersCase studiesWebcasts & audiocastsTR download resourcesSoftware

or deep consideration

55

Share of interest and engagement

56

Competitive share by category

57

A case study

Source: CNET Networks internal study within the Server category

• Engagement leapt from 9% in the three months before campaign to 32% after three months• Vendor integrated its resources where buyers were engaging with related content

58

Summary

• A site can large enough to be a proxy for the business tech space

• Rules can track vendors, users, and technologies• Marketers can plan for and impact each stage of

the decision making funnel• Lift in share can be measured


Thank You